If Dragon Ball GT was Written Today? – Discussion

Before we continue I want to reiterate that this is all my own opinion and that I do not think my ideas are better than those of the real Dragon Ball writers. This is just a fun little post exploring GT in the modern-day.

Dragon Ball GT, the black sheep among the Dragon Ball franchise. Since its airing in 1996, Dragon Ball GT went down in history as a lesser series in the Dragon Ball world. It was criticised for a lot of creative choices, pacing problems and a whole heaping of poor execution. I personally don’t mind GT, I don’t think it’s good but I really appreciate the creativity it has. For me, Dragon Ball GT has some of the best ideas ever presented in Dragon Ball lore, but their execution falls short on SO MANY fronts. But today, I want to take a step into the world of ‘What If’s’ to see what Dragon Ball GT would be like if it were written today. We’ve gotten a ton of lore in this world and I feel that with a little tweaking, Dragon Ball GT could be a series that could be great for the modern era Dragon Ball. With that said, let’s get into this.

The Black Star Dragon Balls

First off, in this arc, I wouldn’t make Goku a kid. I know they did this in hopes of recapturing the original Dragon Ball series, but when you surround that with Z elements, it comes off as poorly paced and turning Goku into a kid just felt redundant and frankly he was annoying. I’d also replace the Black Star Dragon Balls with the Super Dragon Balls. I think it’d be a really cool way to get the gang to explore different universes instead of being stuck in their own, which could rope all of existence in their adventures. This could be hat draws out many of the first batch of villains, all hunting for the Super Dragon Balls to grant their own wish. This could allow for more time spent with other characters besides Goku like the Pride Troopers from Universe 10, or the Universe 6 Saiyans or maybe other U7 characters. If they want to have an arc reminiscent of te original series, fine, but just remember that the series has ventured far beyond that and needs to stay true to its new style.

Baby and the Tuffles

Baby is a villain that I feel had the potential t be really good, but much like the rest of GT he falls short on the execution front. Baby as a concept is one that is quite interesting, the last surviving member of a race wiped out by the Saiyans, his whole plot is that of revenge and it’s one that I personally really liked. Tuffles have been established to exist in the world of Dragon Ball Super with a Tuffle entering the Tournament of Power, so there’s potential for Baby to come back. One thing I would change about Baby is his assimilation of Vegeta, something that removed him from an arc that could have been directed at him. Vegeta is a descendant of the king of the Saiyans, this could incentivize Baby to take revenge on him by many taking over one of his friends or family. One problem I had with Dragon Ball Super was that it focused too much on Goku, so this could be a opportunity for Vegeta to grow more, having him face the sins of his ancestors for what they did to the Tuffles. Speaking of Tuffles and the Baby arc…

Super Saiyan 4

The Baby arc brought us fan favourite transformation Super Saiyan 4. The ferocious look of this beast made it an iconic transformation that even non-GT fans like it, and it’s something I’d like to see if GT was remade. I do like Super Saiyan God, but Super Saiyan 4 always stood out to me as the more powerful looking transformation. I know that with the existence of Super Saiyan God we have no real need for Super Saiyan 4, but maybe the story could change so that something happened to the Super Saiyan God power, perhaps Beerus taking it away from Goku and Vegeta and forcing them to embrace the saiyan part of their power as opposed to their godly powers. This forces Goku and Vegeta to adapt and unlock their maximum potential in the form of Super Saiyan 4. I am willing to admit GT isn’t great, but Super Saiyan 4 is something I’ll defend until the day I die, simply because it looks so cool. Super Saiyan form is a transformation that I feel is too iconic to just miss out given its place in the franchise.

Uub

Uub was one of the few things many people were either happy with or sort of on board for. The reincarnation of Kid Buu, Uub was hyped up to be an incredibly powerful and skilled fighter with latent power. However, he fell on the sidelines more times than not, with his only shining moment being him against Great Ape baby and his transformation into the fused entity Majuub. Uub is a character that, up to this point in Super, has just been born and therefore is a blank slate of a character. He has the potential to be a really interesting character, maybe developing a more unique relationship with Majin Buu since, you know, they were both the same entity at one point. I personally wouldn’t have Majuub be a thing, since it would potentially remove Majin Buu from the series, which wouldn’t be too great an idea considering how popular Majin Buu is. I personally like Uub and the concept that comes with him, but I feel he was drastically underused in GT, and a rewrite would be just what he needs.

Super 17

Oh Super 17, you have one of the coolest designs and one of the worst arcs. Super 17 as both an arc and villain was despised for being both pointless and needlessly long. The idea behind Super 17 was a stupid one, but I think we have the potential to bring him back properly this time. 17 is now back in the spotlight as a character in Dragon Ball Super, so there is potential for him to become Super 17. Maybe the whole Super 17 form could be the result of a failsafe built by Dr Gero into the androids as a last-ditch effort to kill Goku, or maybe he accidentally unlocks great power in his cybernetic body at the cost of his sanity. Super 17 seems like a wasted character since he had to potential to expand the androids lore and personalities, but it never went anywhere. Android 18 could get some development, torn between fighting this new threat and saving her brother. In conclusion, Super 17 was probably the worst part of GT, but in my opinion harbors the most potential to be remade into something really interesting and cool.

The Shadow Dragons

The final boss of Dragon Ball GT, and until Beerus, some of the most powerful foes in the Dragon Ball universe. The Shadow Dragons in concept are a fabulous idea, turning the Dragon Balls into an antagonistic force that removes the characters ‘get out of death free card’ and leaves them with no protection. The only problem was, many of the dragons were either really weak, has ridiculous designs or were just plain boring. Only 3 Shadow Dragons, Nuova Shenron, Eis Shenron and Syn Shenron (AKA Omaga Shenron), but 3 out of 7 isn’t too great a statistic. I think the Shadow Dragons could be remade into dreadfully menacing villains given the new content we have in relation to the Dragon Balls. The Super Dragon Balls are a prime target for these new Shadow Dragons, as the seemingly infinite power of the Super Dragon Balls could really elevate the Shadow Dragons to new height in terms of power and deadliness. We’ve always gotten hints about the existence of the Dragon God Zalama, this could be the prime arc to bring him to the forefront, having resurfaced the take back the ‘Super Shadow Dragons’ and restore balance. The Shadow Dragons, compared to the likes of Jiren, Beerus and many more, look like small potatoes in their current state, but I think with the power of the Super Dragon Balls behind them, they could become one of if not the most powerful Dragon ball foes.

The Ending

The GT ending is a part of the series that many people collectively like. It shows Goku leaving with Shenron as they take the Dragon Balls away from earth. He flies around th world, saying his goodbyes to the people who made him into the man/warrior he is today. It’s a beautifully wholesome scene that serves as a great way to cap off the franchise. I personally wouldn’t have this ending changed, but I would leave it more open to continuation since, you know, when you have a franchise that’s as profitable as Dragon Ball, you milk that cow for more than all it’s worth. The ending could have Goku flying away to train, either on his own or with another person (perhaps Zalama the Dragon God), leaving earth to Vegeta as he leaves to become stronger but hinting at coming back. This kind of ending helps to tie up any loose ends with characters, can have some really sweet character interactions, and even set up future stories if written write. So aside from a few minor changes, I think the ending should remain as it always has.

Closing Words

At the end of the day, I doubt Dragon Ball GT will ever get remade and will only ever exist in spin-off media like the video games. But despite all that, I am still holding out for it to happen as I feel that if done right it can be a really great show. I’m not saying my ideas are perfect, but these are ways that I feel could tie GT into the canon of the series while still expanding it. GT isn’t great, it has a lot of flaws and is a definite step down from the series that came before it. But to me it had some of the best ideas and concepts, only to squander them. I had a lot of fun writing this one, and I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Thank you for reading I hope you enjoyed it. If you did please consider leaving a like and following my blog for updates on future posts. Also follow me on twitter @joe_reviewsfor furhter updates and general nonsense. Till next time.